Clearlake man charged with rape of child

CLEARLAKE -- A man was arrested and charged with child molestation and rape of an underage girl Friday afternoon.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., Clearlake Police Department (CPD) Detective Ryan Peterson and Sgt. Nick Bennett arrested Samuel Rangel, 24, at his home in Clearlake without incident on a warrant issued by a Lake County Superior Court Judge for several offenses, according to a press release provided by Bennett.

An investigation into the matter was opened in January. After interviews conducted by Peterson, as well as by a Lake County District Attorney forensic interviewer, it was determined the offenses had taken place over an extended period of time, Bennett stated.

Rangel was booked into Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious acts of conduct with a child, oral copulation of a child and rape of a child. His bail has been set at $275,000.